Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allentown, PA and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Allentown, PA
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Allentown, PA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Allentown, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,765

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Allentown, PA and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Allentown, PA and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,765 per month in Allentown, PA vs $2,453 in Barcelona, rent included.

Allentown, PA $2,765
Barcelona $2,453

A couple spends around $3,896 per month in Allentown, PA vs $3,509 in Barcelona, rent included.

Allentown, PA $3,896
Barcelona $3,509

A family of three spends $5,027 per month in Allentown, PA vs $4,564 in Barcelona, rent included.

Allentown, PA $5,027
Barcelona $4,564

Allentown, PA costs about 13% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Allentown, PA and Barcelona sit above the global median – Allentown, PA by 103%, Barcelona by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$17.59 €15.80

12.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 $91.8

$67.5 €60.6

36.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$13.53 €12.15

-9.61%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.19 €2.87

75.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.91 €2.62

-9.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.89 €1.70

-16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.01 €3.60

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$4.53 €4.07

28.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.31 €1.17

-9.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.02 €1.81

3.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.85 €1.66

31.35%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$4.83 €4.34

-24.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 $15.62

$16.74 €15.03

-6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 $8.37

$9.12 €8.19

-8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$19.64 €17.64

-3.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$2.98 €2.68

127.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.02 €1.81

-18.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.70 €2.43

5.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.80 €2.52

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.09 €1.87

28.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.07 €1.86

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.46 €1.31

52.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.94 €0.84

169.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.71 $11.71

$6.87 €6.17

70.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.89 €7.08

86.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.41 €1.26

65.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.54 €2.28

6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.14 €2.82

-18.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

$25.45 €22.86

139.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.99 €2.69

-1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.49 €1.34

47.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 $41.24

$33.37 €29.98

23.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.80 €1.61

-38.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.2K €29.8K

-17.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K $26.5K

$31.7K €28.5K

-16.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$188 $188

$180 €162

4.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.2 $54.2

$13.84 €12.43

291.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$33.70 €30.27

109.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$51.5 €46.27

-41.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.42 $25.42

$15.96 €14.34

59.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 $13.03

$10.99 €9.88

18.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,204 $1,204

$917 €823

31.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$16.5K €14.8K

-28.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.88 $37.88

$87.0 €78.2

-56.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 $51.3

$38.51 €34.59

33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$106 €95.1

-15.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$120 €108

-1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$1,699 €1,527

-1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$1,355 €1,217

8.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 $2,481

$2,603 €2,338

-4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 $2,048

$2,062 €1,853

-0.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,166 $2,166

$6,915 €6,211

-68.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 $1,905

$5,128 €4,606

-62.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 $3,074

$2,211 €1,986

39.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.28

96.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Allentown, PA

$1.5K 53.2%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 7.8% $115

Groceries & Markets

Allentown, PA

$392 14.2%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 17.8% $70

Eating Out

Allentown, PA

$315 11.4%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 15.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Allentown, PA

$313 11.3%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 27.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Allentown, PA

$134 4.8%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 18.3% $24

Getting Around

Allentown, PA

$85 3.1%

Barcelona

$48 2% 43.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Allentown, PA

$56 2%

Barcelona

$74 3% 30.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Allentown, PA versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Allentown, PA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Allentown, PA versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $322 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Allentown, PA

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

00:08 12:08 AM

5 h ahead of Allentown, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,443

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Allentown, PA Barcelona 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Allentown, PA
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Allentown, PA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Allentown, PA costs about 13% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,147 per month in Allentown, PA and $3,679 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,668 in Allentown, PA and $1,699 in Barcelona. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,204 per month in Allentown, PA and $917 in Barcelona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,453 in Barcelona to $2,765 in Allentown, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barcelona. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Allentown, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.